In order to avoid the dustbin of baseball history, the Cleveland Guardians must sweep the hapless Colorado Rockies.

After a 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, the Guardians are returning home tonight with this clear mission.

Cleveland has a 52-53 record. A sweep would position them well for a wild-card run.

Defeating the Rockies isn’t automatic, despite their 27-78 record. On Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles beat the Rockies 18-0!

With the trade deadline looming on Thursday, this is last chance to prove that this version of the Cleveland Guardians are real contenders.

ROYAL PAIN

Cleveland failed in its mission to win the Kansas City series, as nothing seemed to go right.

The Guardians loaded the bases in the first inning, but Noah Cameron (5-4) retired David Fry, Carlos Santana, and Gabriel Arias.

Vinny Pasquantino and Mikael Garcia hit RBI grounders in the first inning off Guardians starter Joey Cantillo (2-1).

Luke Maile, who played for Cleveland in 2022, extended the Royals’ lead to 3-0 with an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Matt Festa relieved Cantillo after four innings and gave up a solo homer to Garcia in the fifth.

Cleveland finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh on a 425-foot homer by Arias into the right-center field fountains.

START THE MISSION

Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.76 ERA) will start tonight against the Rockies at Progressive Field. Bradley Blalock (1-2, 8.67) will pitch for Colorado.

Game time is 6:40 p.m.